Give a child a safe home
Are you ready to provide a loving home to a child in foster care?
New Horizons’ foster care and adoption program is actively seeking families who can provide a safe and loving home to children, ages 5 to 18 years old.
Your family will be able to provide a place for a child or multiple children who have been through a traumatic and many times, abusive situation in their original home.
We are ready to help you begin your journey!
WHERE TO START
First, read through the basic requirements and FAQs.
Next, read our Philosophy about Children and Families:
Our Philosophy about Children and Families
We are so grateful that you’ve expressed an interest in becoming a foster/adoptive parent. We are even more excited that you’re considering allowing New Horizons to help you through that process!
As you seek to make this commitment to kids and families (and ultimately to become part of the New Horizons family), we believe it’s important that you understand who we are and our philosophy towards children and families.
New Horizons' motto is “Keeping Kids First!” This is not just a saying or a tag line for our brochures. It’s a philosophy we are deeply committed to living out in every facet of our programs and services.
We want to ensure that we are always, to the best of our ability, doing what’s best for kids in our care.
As a future partner with us, it’s important that you are prepared to embrace this philosophy when working with kids and families. Sounds easy, right? It’s NOT!
Sometimes, doing what’s best for kids is challenging. We must plan creatively and commit to trying new things which may force us out of our comfort zone.
We must work as a team with other professionals both internally and externally to completely understand perspectives and identify the real problem(s).
And perhaps most notably, it forces us to examine our own motivations and asks us to set aside our personal desires to consider what’s best for the child.
If you are ready to accept this challenge and walk alongside us in the journey, we welcome you into the midst of one of the most challenging paths you will ever take. But it is one that inevitably comes with much joy as you realize the impact you can have on your community and the precious lives of kids who so desperately need you!
Welcome to New Horizons!
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Have more questions? Call us at 325-437-1852 or fill out the form below.
Fill out this form
If you have any trouble seeing this form, please click here.
New Horizons trains and licenses homes for foster care and adoption in and around Abilene, Brownwood,
Mineral Wells, San Angelo, Texas.
Please complete one application per household. In addition to your application, please submit:
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- CAPS Form for every household member 13 years and older (download)
- Copy of drivers license (as applicable)
- Copy of social security card for every household member ages 13 and over
Once your materials are submitted, New Horizons will initiate the necessary background checks and review your information. We will reach out to you within 1 to 2 business days to discuss the next steps in the process.
If you have any questions during that time, feel free to reach out to us at (325) 437-1852.
Submit Your Documents Here
If you have any trouble seeing this form, please click this link to submit your information.
Here is where it gets personal! During this step, you will complete several documents to help us learn about your home, your background, and your family life.
Some of these documents are completed by you and others are done together with a New Horizons Case Manager. All the information gathered will be part of your final verification document, the Home Study. If you have any questions about these documents, we are here to help!
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Please note that this is a 2 page submission form with multiple uploads. It is best to have all your documents prepared and complete before uploading to the form. It is easier to submit your documents via the form on a computer/laptop vs. a phone.
Documents and Forms Required
Document Copies Needed
- Birth certificates - all household members
- Social security cards - anyone under 14 not already submitted
- Highest level of education achieved - caregivers only
- Marriage license/divorce decrees
- Current vehicle insurance - all vehicles owned or leased
- Current pet vaccinations
- Photo of whole family - can be a selfie
- Photos of front and back of home
- TB Test for all household members age 1 and up
Forms - These forms will download automatically
- Health Status Form - Foster/Adoptive Parent - last page must be signed by physician
- Health Status Form - Children in the home
- New Horizons Disaster Plan
- Family Profile - Parents' Background - one for each caregiver
- Household Profile - one per household – to be completed by caregivers
- Youth’s view of the home - to be completed by youth, one for each youth age 12-17
- Child’s View of the home - to be completed by each child age 3-12
- Children’s Profile - to be completed by caregivers for each child 0-17 living in the home
- Other Adult’s profile - to be completed by any other individual residing in the home age 18+
- Income/Expense Form - one per household
- Floor Plan - one per household – must include dimensions for each room
- Appeals Process Policy
During this time – New Horizons will also bring you the following forms for review/completion:
- Initial Home Tour
- Firearms Check
- Appeals Process Policy
- Family Violence Disclosure
- Environmental Health Inspection
- Fire Inspection
Submit your documents here
If you have any trouble seeing this form, please click this link to submit your information.
Step 4 – Training Classes Required
After you have submitted your initial documents, have completed the preliminary background check, and had an initial tour of your home completed, you are ready to begin training!
Your assigned Case Manager will assist you in enrolling in the appropriate training courses to meet the requirements set by the State of Texas. The specific training and hours required is dependent on the type of care you wish to provide.
Please note that even if you are a relative/kinship family, the requirements remain the same for verification.
Training - Foster Only
Licensed foster parents will complete approximately 35-40 hours of preservice training through a combination of in-person trainings, online training, and self-instructional trainings.
In-person training is typically done on a Friday/Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm each day. Please see the training calendar to find the next set of classes near you. There are 8 online/self-instructional trainings required for families - click to access training:
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- DFPS Trauma Informed Care (link)
- DFPS Medical Consent (link)
- DFPS Psychotropic Medication (link)
- DFPS Reporting Abuse and Neglect (link)
- Preventing Communicable Disease (video)
- Preventing Communicable Disease Quiz (download)
- Transracial Parenting (download)
- Transracial Parenting Quiz (download)
- Caring for LGBTQ Youth (download)
- Caring for LGBTQ Youth Quiz (download)
- Disaster Drill (download)
- Recognizing and Reporting Child Sexual Abuse (link)
*DFPS = Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
All caregivers must obtain or possess a current Adult/Infant/CPR Certification. New Horizons offers CPR classes (see training calendar) or you are free to pursue this class on your own.
Training - Foster to Adopt
Licensed foster to adopt parents will complete approximately 45 hours of preservice training through a combination of in-person trainings, online training and self-instructional trainings.
In-person training is typically done on a Friday/Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm each day. Please see the training calendar to find the next set of classes near you. You will also complete the PRIDE Training Class as a 1 day Saturday session. There are 8 online/self-instructional trainings required for families:
- DFPS Trauma Informed Care (link)
- DFPS Medical Consent (link)
- DFPS Psychotropic Medication (link)
- DFPS Reporting Abuse and Neglect (link)
- Preventing Communicable Disease (video)
- Preventing Communicable Disease Quiz (download)
- Transracial Parenting (download)
- Transracial Parenting Quiz (download)
- Caring for LGBTQ Youth (download)
- Caring for LGBTQ Youth Quiz (download)
- Disaster Drill (download)
- Recognizing and Reporting Child Sexual Abuse (link)
*DFPS = Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
All caregivers must obtain or possess a current Adult/Infant/CPR Certification. New Horizons offers CPR classes or you are free to pursue this class on your own.
We will interview each household member individually, the caregivers together (when applicable), and the entire family group all together. This process usually takes a few hours, depending on the number of people living in your home.
We will be exploring topics related to your background, your childhood, your perception of yourself, information about your support systems, and how you manage life’s challenges.
In this phase, continue to work on completing any outstanding paperwork and be ready to talk about yourself and your family!
• Foster Parent Service Agreement
• Foster Parent Rights and Responsibilities
• Direct Deposit Form (please have a copy of a voided check available)
Following this signing, our Quality Assurance staff will conduct one final review of your family’s file before submitting your information to the DFPS database for approval. Once we submit this information, it typically takes 24-48 hours for your family to show as “Active” in the DFPS system.
Congratulations, you are now able to accept children into your home!
Fill out this form
FOSTER CARE / ADOPTION
New Horizons helps children and families in Texas through counseling, foster care, adoption, and residential treatment.
New Horizons Ranch and Center, Inc. DBA New Horizons is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, tax identification 75-1530340.
New Horizons Ranch and Center, Inc. is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to high-performance standards and best practices for child welfare and behavioral health.
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New Horizons helps children in Texas through counseling, foster care, adoption, and residential treatment.
New Horizons
147 Sayles Blvd.
Abilene, Texas 79605
(325) 437-1852
New Horizons Ranch and Center, Inc. DBA New Horizons is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, tax identification 75-1530340.
New Horizons Ranch and Center, Inc. is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to high-performance standards and best practices for child welfare and behavioral health.
MEMBER OF: